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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The convergence of college football team allegiances and anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic has spawned an increasingly ridiculous batch of conspiracy theories.
Kirk Herbstreit spiked football on Tuesday night. He was so hard he bounced back, punched him in the face, and forced one of the most modern apologies via a selfie video.
During ESPN’s revelation of the college football playoff standings, Herbstreit suggested Michigan would use its recent COVID-19 cases as an excuse to fire The Game against Ohio State on December 12. Not for the sake of player safety, but because Wolverines are cowards.
“I still think Michigan will wave the white flag and not play this week,” said Herbstreit, the former Buckeyes quarterback. “Is that fair? Michigan could pull out and keep Ohio State out of the Big Ten Championship. That doesn’t make sense to me.
Herbstreit said college football coaches told him teams are using COVID-19 as an excuse to give up games they know they will lose. He gave no example and cited no source. (It should be noted that Clemson trainer Dabo Swinney, who coaches Herbstreit’s sons, established a new low in daring stupidity by claiming that the state of Florida used Clemson’s COVID-19 caresy as an excuse. – as opposed to a legitimate medical reason – to cancel their match.)
ESPN host Rece Davis gave Herbstreit a chance to step back. Herbstreit didn’t do it in its entirety until a two-minute video he posted to Twitter later that evening.
“I had no reason to say that,” Herbstreit said. “I have no proof of this. It was completely unfair to the University of Michigan, to Jim Harbaugh, to his players and his coaches.
“In general, I try to stay positive and upbeat, and I think sometimes we all have our breaking points. With so much negativity around sport, it’s sometimes a pressure point for me.
To suggest the very integrity of the game is compromised, a sure fight against negativity.
Herbstreit admitted to Davis that he did not know the extent of the coronavirus situation in Michigan. The Wolverines only held virtual meetings Monday and Tuesday “out of caution,” according to the schedule. A report said that only one of Monday’s suspected positive results was confirmed to be COVID-19.
Herbstreit’s claim was the sort of thing you would expect to see on a bulletin board or through the intellectual cesspool of social media anonymity, not from a respected member of the college football media. (If it has any evidence for these accusations, ESPN employs a few dozen investigative reporters who would certainly love to see them.)
Even if what Herbstreit has heard from coaches in general is true, applying that ground to Michigan at this point in both a) assumes facts that are not in evidence about the extent of their COVID-19 cases and b) contradicts the known character of Jim Harbaugh.
Say what you want about Harbaugh’s shortcomings as a coach – and me – the guy is so competitive he’s incendiary. So let’s add this conspiracy theory to the others swirling around the Ohio State fan base and burn them all down.
• Maryland did not release bail for playing in Ohio state due to a few COVID-19 cases because they were scared. He did the same as the Buckeyes a few weeks later and made a cautious call to try and stem a problem he feared would grow.
If you criticized the first, have you also criticized the second?
• No one is conspiring to stop the State of Ohio from participating in the Big Ten Championship game or the college football playoffs. Follow the money.
Few teams in the country are as reliable as the Buckeyes. The Big Ten want their best team in Indianapolis, they want them to win there, and they want them to go to the playoffs and win there too. Think ESPN wants an Alabama-Cincinnati playoff, or even a rematch from Crimson Tide and Texas A&M?
This season is exactly what it was meant to be all through: a mess. A disorder that is sometimes inspiring, often frustrating, always tenuous. Protocols and practice will help teams get by, but so will something they can’t control at all: luck.
The state of Ohio may still have the mat pulled from underneath due to the pandemic while other teams play. Here’s your bad guy – no luck. You don’t need to make another one.
New Ohio State Face Masks For Sale: Here’s where you can purchase Ohio state-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available on Fanatics for $ 29.99.
Fanatics released the Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Face Covers. This 3-pack of adult masks costs $ 29.99.
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